The Luna-25, the primary Russian lunar lander in almost 50 years, wasn’t in a position to enter its scheduled pre-landing orbit of the moon.
The robotic spacecraft was as a consequence of enter the orbit on Saturday, however as a consequence of an emergency scenario the maneuver was unsuccessful, based on an announcement from the Russian house company Roscosmos. The crew is analyzing the scenario, it stated, with out giving additional particulars.
Russia launched the craft final week, becoming a member of a race with NASA and different house companies. It is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole on Aug. 21, Roscosmos stated earlier. It isn’t instantly clear if the plan nonetheless stands.
The lunar south pole is a extremely coveted goal amongst space-faring nations, together with the US and China. India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is orbiting the moon and can seemingly try a touchdown close to the pole this week.